Should the garage have charged?
Poll: Should the garage have charged?
Total Members Polled: 107
Discussion
Car needed new disc and pads. The discs on this particular model are cross drilled.
Took it into local garage asked for quote for 'like for like' replacement. When they phoned, I was given the price. Seemed cheap for cross drilled, so queried it, and they said their supplier "can't do the cross drilled ones so we've just ordered standard ones". I said they must be cross drilled*. They said they couldn't get them (which seemed strange if joe-public can buy them) and so they told me to buy them myself. Strange, but fair enough.
I order the parts from a Car Parts place. Package arrives. I open it, have a look, see that the the brake disc on top is cross drilled. Put parts in the car. Car goes in the next day.
I get a call from the garage saying only one of the discs were cross drilled and the other wasn't, but they've fitted them anyway (i.e. mismatched pair) and it's been out for a test drive (
). I tell them that that's unacceptable and ask did they really think I'd carry on with mis-matched brake discs?
So I leave the car at the garage, order another brake disc and it gets swapped a few days later.
The big question, should the garage have charged extra for the removal and refitting?
I suppose there's one school of thought that says it was my fault for not checking everything in the order, however I think it was fair to assume that, as one was correct and a pair was ordered, they should match (it must have been harder for the supplier to send two different ones than two of the same!)
Another school of thought is that the garage should have stopped when realising the parts mismatched and not proceeded to fit them.
( * The benefits of cross drilled brake discs can be debated in another thread. They're part of the 'headline spec' of this model and I simply wanted to keep it original)
Took it into local garage asked for quote for 'like for like' replacement. When they phoned, I was given the price. Seemed cheap for cross drilled, so queried it, and they said their supplier "can't do the cross drilled ones so we've just ordered standard ones". I said they must be cross drilled*. They said they couldn't get them (which seemed strange if joe-public can buy them) and so they told me to buy them myself. Strange, but fair enough.
I order the parts from a Car Parts place. Package arrives. I open it, have a look, see that the the brake disc on top is cross drilled. Put parts in the car. Car goes in the next day.
I get a call from the garage saying only one of the discs were cross drilled and the other wasn't, but they've fitted them anyway (i.e. mismatched pair) and it's been out for a test drive (
). I tell them that that's unacceptable and ask did they really think I'd carry on with mis-matched brake discs? So I leave the car at the garage, order another brake disc and it gets swapped a few days later.
The big question, should the garage have charged extra for the removal and refitting?
I suppose there's one school of thought that says it was my fault for not checking everything in the order, however I think it was fair to assume that, as one was correct and a pair was ordered, they should match (it must have been harder for the supplier to send two different ones than two of the same!)
Another school of thought is that the garage should have stopped when realising the parts mismatched and not proceeded to fit them.
( * The benefits of cross drilled brake discs can be debated in another thread. They're part of the 'headline spec' of this model and I simply wanted to keep it original)
Slightly poor customer service not to phone and ask when they noticed, but I'd say ultimately it's not the garage's job to check that the customer has supplied the parts that the customer thinks they supplied.
My guess would be that they didn't actually notice until after they'd put them on.
My guess would be that they didn't actually notice until after they'd put them on.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 21st May 14:10
Hooli said:
I can't see a decent garage fitting mismatched brakes tbh. They should have rung you & said the parts are wrong when they found out.
That's my thinking. As the experts on such matters, they should know better, even if the customer supplied the wrong parts.
Also worth noting that my only mistake, was not noticing someone else's mistake.
Anyway, I paid the full invoice (which was double the original quotation for labour-only) but I don't think I'll be going back there in the future.
Third school of thought, your car is on a ramp in bits & the parts are wrong. If they call you I guess the choice would be fit what they have or put it back together. It would presumably take time to get the correct part?? Either way it is costing the garage money through no fault of their own?
steveo3002 said:
sounds a bit pig ignorant to me
mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
That's the thing - I would have been more than happy for them to have got them (and for them to have had their slight mark-up on the parts price) but they said their supplier couldn't supply them and, for whatever reason, they couldn't get them elsewhere either.mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
monthefish said:
steveo3002 said:
sounds a bit pig ignorant to me
mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
That's the thing - I would have been more than happy for them to have got them (and for them to have had their slight mark-up on the parts price) but they said their supplier couldn't supply them and, for whatever reason, they couldn't get them elsewhere either.mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
cant really argue they charged you but i wouldnt be racing back if thats all they care about customer care
Dave_ST220 said:
Third school of thought, your car is on a ramp in bits & the parts are wrong. If they call you I guess the choice would be fit what they have or put it back together. It would presumably take time to get the correct part?? Either way it is costing the garage money through no fault of their own?
It's a fair point, but using that logic, if them not checking the parts before proceeding isn't their fault, then surely me not checking the parts before proceeding isn't mine either.They shot themselves in the foot twice with just ordering standard discs and not phoning when they noticed the different discs in the box. -2 for them.
Not a difficult customer but a difficult situation. -1 for you.
I would only have charged for one fitting as it's a relatively simple job to do, especially when the old discs are off and overall the balance lies in your favour.
You won't be going back though so a balance in the end?
Not a difficult customer but a difficult situation. -1 for you.
I would only have charged for one fitting as it's a relatively simple job to do, especially when the old discs are off and overall the balance lies in your favour.
You won't be going back though so a balance in the end?
We know we should all check the parts but as you have found out we rarely do!! I once removed the inlet manifold from my old V6 to fit new spark plugs. Only when I opened the box did I find out I had 4 plugs! The supplier got two out to me in a van FOC within the hour. I guess the issue here is you supplied the parts, it wasn't really their responsibility to check they were correct even though they should really have done so. They could have at least called you though as fitting mismatched disc is poor IMO. They probably didn't as you would have said you'd get the disc & your car would be occupying their ramp which could be making them money from other jobs.
steveo3002 said:
monthefish said:
steveo3002 said:
sounds a bit pig ignorant to me
mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
That's the thing - I would have been more than happy for them to have got them (and for them to have had their slight mark-up on the parts price) but they said their supplier couldn't supply them and, for whatever reason, they couldn't get them elsewhere either.mr smarty pants knows best and orders his own parts so they cant take thier mark up on them , lets do as he says to make a point
cant really argue they charged you but i wouldnt be racing back if thats all they care about customer care
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